Cricket update - Pakistan beat Essex in a T20 match
Pakistan won a warm up T20 match against Essex handsomely beating the county side by 66 runs. Batting first Pakistan piled up a mammoth total of 204 runs, and restricted the Essex team to only 138 for 9.
It was a collective team effort and almost all Pakistani batsmen got good starts, and same was the case when Pakistan bowled, although Razzaq took 3 wickets but almost everyone chipped in with wickets.
Shahid Afridi was slightly injured in the 3 day match earlier so decided to sit this one out, Salman Butt took on the reigns for this match and decided to bat first after winning the toss.
For a change both openers looked confident and positive right from the start. Shahzaib Hasan who was part of Pakistan’s T-20 world cup winning team back in 2009 was in his elements, and played his shots right from the start. The young right hander played pulls and cuts almost at will.
While Salman Butt at the other end was playing more of a traditional knock, but still was not far behind as far as the strike rate was concerned. The Chelmsford pitch was not offering too much swing to the seamers and Pakistan’s openers continued to use the long handle to good effect.
The pair scored at almost 10 runs per over; the partnership was broken when Shahzaib Hasan was dismissed after scoring 49 runs from 33 balls with 7 fours and a six. He was caught by Palladino on the bowling of Danish Kaneria.
Salman Butt then took over the scoring and alongside Kamran Akmal started piling on the runs, he was sent back for 41 runs from 33 balls (5 boundaries), Butt was caught by Foster on the bowling of Flower.
Kamran Akmal then left for 27 runs from 18 balls with 4 boundaries; he was caught by Maunders off the bowling of Philips.
Pakistan’s man in form Umar Akmal then joined Shoaib Malik and formed a solid partnership for the 3rd wicket. The pair put on 75 runs in just 5 overs, Umar Akmal was dismissed after scoring a quick fire 38 from 18 balls with 4 boundaries and a couple of sixes.
Shoaib Malik remained unbeaten at 38 from 17 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes, as Pakistan ended their innings at 204 for 4 in the allotted 20 overs.
Essex in reply were always going to struggle reaching the stiff target of 205, starting at a required rate of over 10 right from the start. The home team started losing wickets quickly; Razzaq was in devastating form removing the top 3 batsmen with the score at just 11.
Philips was the only batsman from Essex to offer any sort of resistance with 57 from 44 balls with 7 fours and one six.
Pakistan bowling attack had a good day and apart from Shoaib Akhtar all the others got among wickets.
Shoaib Akhtar though bowled extremely well, there may not have been the same raw pace but he was certainly testing the batsman with his aggressive length. Akhtar made his way back in the team after being injured for long, and even though he has been included in the T20 side he was still ignored when the test team was picked.
Pakistan team look in good shape to take on the Australians in two T20 internationals, but the test matches coming up will certainly put the young Pakistan line up the test.
Shahid Afridi is expected to return to the team for the first T20 against Australia next week.
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